Viola, DelawareMarch 1960

Early on the morning of March 28, 1960, someone standing on the outskirts of Viola, Delaware, saw a round blue object streak across the sky. The object was about four inches in diameter and so bright that its light lit up the entire town. It traveled from northwest to southeast, passing over rooftops and into a field near town. The sighting lasted roughly ten seconds.

The object's intense blue light was its most striking feature. No other details about its appearance, such as a tail or flashing lights, were recorded. The weather that morning was clear and very windy. Winds in the upper atmosphere were strong and variable, ranging from northwest to several other directions at different altitudes.

The Air Force made a request for additional information about the sighting, but the request was never answered. A witness was eventually located and interviewed. An Air Force officer visited the field where the observer believed the object landed but found no physical evidence. The case file notes that an intelligence officer thought the object "could have been a falling meteor or a re-entry of a burning falling satellite." The initial summary in the file describes the sighting as "characteristic of a meteor of the 'fireball' type," though the official conclusion box marks the case as "unknown." The full case file, consisting of 8 pages as held by the National Archives, is reproduced below.